Multiple-desk concentrator.



U. A. GARRED.

MULTIPLE DECK GONGBNTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 00122, 1913.

1,093,986, Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

I E WITNESSES: Lwmvzron.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH Cc-.WAsHlNuToN. D. C

APPLICATION FILED 001222, 1913.

Patented A r; 21, 19m

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PMNoan/u'n C0" WASHINGTON. D. c.

v U. A. GARRED. MULTIPLE DECK GONGBNTBATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 0O'1.22, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 191i 3 SHBETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES:

ATTORQNEY.

- COLUMBIA PLANounAPH cm, WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'ULYSSES A. GARRCED, 0F ANACONDA, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 ALBERT E. WIGGIN AND ONE-THIRD T0 FREDERICK LAIST, BOTH OF ANAGONDA, MONTANA.

MULTIPLE-DECK CONCENTRATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ULYSSES A. GARRED, citizen of the United States, residing at Anaconda, in the county of Deerlodge and State of Montana, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Multiple-Deck Concentrators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in multipledeck concentrators; and it consists in the novel features of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Fi ure 1 is a middle vertical section taken t rough the concentrator, the pulp-feed pipes for some of the decks being broken away for the sake of clearness, certain parts being in elevation; Fig. 2 is a combined top plan, and horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail on the zigzag line 3-3 of Fig. 1, the upper radial braces of the rotatable frame being omitted; and Fig. 1 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail on the line 47- 1 of Fig. 1.

The present is an improvement on the construction of concentrator forming the subject-matter of United States patent granted to Albert E VViggin, numbered 1,078,977, dated November 18, 1913. As fully set forth in said patent, the concentrator is of the multiple-deck rotary variety; and where the number of such decks is large, the weight of the structure resulting therefrom requires considerable power to drive it, the power consumed being out of proportion to the advantage gained by the increased capacity of the combined decks. In order therefore, to reduce the motive power to a minimum and at the same time maintain the advantage derived from a large number of superposed decks, an advantage which as well understood, finds expression in increased capacity, my improvement contemplates, and has TOF'IJCS main object, the construction of a multiple-deck concentrator in which the decks are stationary, suit able provision being made for rotating the feed and discharge launders and the parts with which they are directly associated, an arrangement which is just the reverse of that forming the subject-matter of the pat- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. October 22, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Serial No. 796,653.

ent aforesaid. This reversal of operations but rather in an increased capacity,'the stationary character of the decks permitting the employment of a maximum number of decks. The rotary member of such a concentrator comprising the several feed and discharge launders and pulp distributer is comparatively light, and hence requires a minimum amount of power to drive it.

A further object is tosimplify the construction in particulars which will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which is as follows Referring to the drawings, B represents a suitablefoundation (preferably concrete) along the top of which is disposed a circular track or rail traversed by wheels E mounted between the brackets a depending from the base of the periphery of a horizontally rotating frame by which the feed and discharge launders are supported. This frame is composed of a series of outer vertical structural members or columns 1, 1, the bases of which are connected by the inner and outer circular channels 2, 2, respectively, the upper ends being united by an inner circular channel 3 connected by radial braces 4: to the plates or straps 5 encompassing the upper end of the central tower T to be presently referred to. Disposed along the inner faces of the columns are a series of discharge launders 6, there being one launder for each two decks of the concentrator presently to be described. Forming a part of said frame is a central tower T, (preferably square in cross-section) the upper ends of the vertical columns of the tower being tied by the straps 5, the base 5 of the tower being provided with a step-bearing 8 (preferably a ball-bearing) supported on the foundation B. When rotation is imparted to the frame, the tower T rotates as a unit therewith, being virtually a part of said rotary frame. Surmounting the frame and disposed centrally thereon is a pulp distributer or tank 9 either on the order of that described in the patent aforesaid, or any other design, which the skilled mechanic may improvise.

Disposed within the confines of the rotary frame above described is astationary multiple-deck concentrator, the same comprising an outer series of vertical structural members or columns 10 arranged concentrically with the frame members 1, and resting on the foundation B, the said members 10 being provided at intervals with lugs or anglebrackets 11 forming the outer supports for the decks or tables D, the general construction of the concentrator and decks thereof being similar to that of the patent aforesaid, the decks being provided with central openings 0 from which the concentrating surfaces slope outwardly and downwardly toward the points of support for the decks, the openings of the several decks collectively forming a well W which the tower T traverses and within which it is free to rotate. Secured by means of brackets 12 to the tower T are series of pulp-feed launders 6, there being a launder for each deck. The launders are positioned so as to discharge pulp onto the several decks, the material being first delivered to the launders of the respective decks from the pulp-distributer 9 in a manner substantially as'described in the patent aforesaid, that is to say :Leading from the bottom of the compartments of the pulp-distributer, and traversing the well WV on the outside of the tower T, are a series of pulp-feed pipes 13, the closed bottom of every pipe terminating opposite its respective deck. From a suitable fitting 14: at the closed end of each pulp-feed pipe there radiate a series of branches 14: the free ends of which dip downwardly and discharge into the launder 6', the pipe 13 being provided with a gate valve G or its equivalent for controlling the pulp. The branches 14 necessarily cut across the space on the inside of the tower T, but not sufficiently to interfere with the movements of an average man desiring access to any deck by way of the well 7. Passed centrally through the step-bearing 8 is the fixed or stationary terminal of a water-feed pipe 15, said pipe leading into a stuffing-box 16 at the bottom of the tower T. Leading from the top of the stufling-box is the vertical rotatable pipe or leg 16 of a fitting (Z provided with branches to one of which is coupled a pipe 17 and to the other a pipe 17, the pipe 17 serving as the dressing water line, and the latter (17) as the wash-off line. Leading from the dressingwater line 17 are branches 18 discharging water into the launders 6 beyond the partitions 6, whereby the water and pulp are caused to mingle as they flow onto the concentrating surface of the deck D, and leading from the line 17 are branches 18 discharging water directly onto the several decks, said branches being provided with nozzles 19 which project forcible jets of water onto the decks, said jets washing the concentrates into the proper compartments 71 of the discharge launders 6, whence said concentrates are in turn discharged through the pipe 20 into the stationary launder L form.- ing one of the series of stationary launders L, L, L, surrounding the base of the rotary frame above described. Like in the patent aforesaid, the launders 6 are each divided into compartments /t, t, t, t", t, 27, the compartment It receiving the concentrates, the compartment t receiving the middlings or sands, and the compartments 6" to 6" inclusive receiving the tailings from the concentrating surface of the particular deck. The several corresponding compartments it of the several decks are connected by a. pipe 2-0 as above pointed out, said pipe discharging into the launder L; the compartments t are connected by a pipe 20 which discharges the sands or middlings into the middling launder L, and the compartments t to 6" inclusive are each connected by the pipes 20 which discharge the tailings into the tailings launder L. In respect to the zones of distribution of the concentrates, sands or middlings, and tailings, over the several decks, the same principle obtains in the present improvement as in the structure of the patent aforesaid, the present improvement contemplating the additional structural features of the launders L, L, L, into which the classified materials from the several decks are discharged.

Mounted adjacent the rotary launder-carrying frame above described is a motor M the shaft of which is provided with a pinion 21 engaging a gear-wheel 22 on a parallel shaft S, the latter terminating in a bevel gear wheel 23 which meshes with a circular rack-bar or rack 24 disposed at the base of the periphery of the rotary frame outside of the brackets a. It is apparent that rotation of the motor-shaft will impart rotation to the launder-frame, and hence to the tower T and pulp-distributer 9. For convenience, the rotary frame (composed of the members 1, 2, 2', 3, 4, 5, and tower T) will be referred to as the launder-frame, irrespective of the specific construction of the tower T, as it must be apparent to the skilled mechanic, that any equivalent member carried by the frame and traversing the well V will answer in a measure the purpose of the tower T.

The operation of the concentrator (which is not unlike that of the structure of the patent aforesaid) is substantially as follows :The motor M being started, a comparatively slow rotation is imparted through the reducing gear 21, 22 to the rotary launder-frame or launder-carrying frame and its tower T about the axis of the well 1V, all parts and pipes carried by the frame revolving as a unit and in unison therewith. The decks D remain stationary. As the pulp flows from the distributer 9 into the several feed launders 6 it will be delivered onto the decks from the respective launders,

(the rotation being clock-wise as per arrows in Figs. 2 and l) and distribute itself thereover in the same manner (in so far as the Zones of distribution areconcerned) as would be the case were the launders station ary and the decks revolved. With the rotation of the frame, the lines 17, 17 will distribute their Water throughout the several launders 6 and onto the several decks through the branches 18, 18 and nozzles 19, the concentrates being directed by the water jets into the compartments h of the several. revolving launders '6, the middlings finding their way into the compartments 6, and the tailings into the compartments t to 25 inclusive, the contents of the respective compartments being in turn discharged through the pipes 20, 20, 20 respectively, into the stationary launders L, L, L.

The tower T herein is constructed substantially the same as in the patent aforesaid, and so are the decks D; and in fact whatever features are shown but not specifically detailed or alluded to, may be assumed to be on the order of the corresponding parts in said patent, or to be old and well understood in the art.

In the present illustration I show ten superposed decks, but the apparatus may be run up to as many as twenty or more decks, or reduced down to two decks (or one for that matter) without departing from the spirit of the invention. While I have here shown one discharge launder 6 for each two decks, this relation may obviously be altered.

I do not of course, claim the mere abstract reversal of the operations as set forth in the patent aforesaid, but on the contrary, the invention is directed to a structure eminently adapted to operate in such reverse manner.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A concentrator comprising a series of superposed decks having continuous annular concentrating surfaces and spaced apart and provided with concentric openings forming a central well, a series of fixed columns disposed about, and supporting the decks at their peripheries, a frame encompassing the decks and rotatable around the same about the axis of the well, a member traversing the well and rotatable in unison with the frame aforesaid, pulp-feed launders secured to said member and disposed above the several decks around the Well and discharging pulp onto the decks, discharge launders secured to the frame and provided with compartments for receiving the classified materials discharged along various points from the peripheries of the decks, means on the frame for supplying pulp to the feed-launders, and means coupled to the member traversing the well for supplying dressing and wash water currents to the several decks.

2. In combination with a series of superposed stationary decks having continuous annular concentrating surfaces and spaced apart, a series of fixed columns disposed about, and supporting the decks at their peripheries, means moving across the decks and supplying pulp thereto whereby the latter distributes itself in zones identified with the material classified from the original pulp, discharge launders disposed adjacent the outer edges of the decks outside the columns and moving in unison with the pulpsupply means for receiving the various products of the classification.

8. In combination with a series of superposed stationary decks having continuous annular concentrating surfaces and spaced apart, a series of fixed columns disposed about, and supporting the decks at their peripheries, means moving across the decks and supplying pulp thereto whereby the latter distributes itself in zones identified wit-h the material classified from the original pulp, discharge launders disposed adjacent the outer edges of the decks outside the columns and moving in unison, and in the same general direction with, the pulp-supply means for receiving the various products of the classification.

4. In combination with a series of superposed stationary decks having continuous annular concentrating surfaces and spaced apart, a series of fixed columns disposed about, and supporting the decks at their peripheries, means rotating across the decks and supplying pulp thereto whereby the latter distributes itself in Zones supplying material classified from the original pulp, discharge launders disposed adjacent the outer edges of the decks outside the columns and rotating in unison, and in the same general direction with, the pulp-supply means, compartments in said discharge launders for receiving the various products of the classifi cation, and a common discharge for the contents of the corresponding compartments of the several launders.

5. A multiple-deck concentrator comprising a series of fixed columns disposed about a central vertical axis, concentrating decks supported at their peripheries in the space between the columns and superposed over one another and spaced apart, the several decks having openings forming collectively a central well through the decks, the concentrating surfaces of the decks sloping downwardly and outwardly from said well toward the peripheries of the decks, a rotatable frame comprising a series of columns disposed about the axis of the well and surrounding the decks, rings connecting the upper and lower ends of the columns respectively, a central tower connected to the upper ring and traversing the well, the base of the tower being provided with a stepbearing, a circular track below the columns, wheels on the rotatable frame traversing the track, means for imparting rotation to the frame and to the tower, pulp-feed launders and discharge launders carried by the tower and frame respectively, a pulp-distribu'ter on the frame supplying pulp to the pulpfeed launders, a stationary water-feed pipe entrally traversing the bearing of the tower,

a rotatable pipe leading from said station- 'ary plpe, branches leading from sald rota- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

